Matchweek 5 of the Premier League produced a week of surprises, big results and important results as the season has been going. From September 18 to 20, 2026, Arsenal suffered a heavy defeat, Liverpool got another narrow win and Manchester City survived an eight-goal thriller.
Brighton Shock Arsenal 3-0
The biggest surprise came at the American Express Community Stadium, where Brighton & Hove Albion had a 3-0 win over defending champions Arsenal.
Pascal Gross opened the scoring before Charalampos Kostoulas doubled Brighton's lead. Chema Andres added a third after the break as the Seagulls managed to complete a great performance.
The defeat ended Arsenal's perfect league start and meant they missed the chance to win their first eight games of the season for the first time in 123 years. Brighton had also defeated Arsenal three times in three consecutive seasons (the Premier League also added).
Liverpool Edge Bournemouth
Liverpool continued their unbeaten league start with a 1-0 win away to Bournemouth on September 20.
Alexander Isak scored the decisive second-half goal, giving Liverpool three valuable points on Andoni Iraola’s return to the Vitality Stadium. Liverpool’s strong start to the campaign also continued.
Manchester City Survive Sunderland Thriller
Manchester City produced one of the best games of the weekend, defeating Sunderland 5-3 at the Etihad Stadium.
The match also featured a hat-trick from Sunderland's Brian Brobbey, but City's attacking quality finally proved decisive. Antoine Semenyo scored twice and Erling Haaland added another as City maintained their 100 per cent league record.
The eight-goal game had defensive problems for City, who conceded three goals despite another victory.
5/38 pic.twitter.com/47uLGGki5v
— Premier League (@premierleague) September 20, 2026
Manchester United Drop More Points
Manchester United's difficult start continued with a 1-1 draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Fulham went ahead in the second half after a sequence involving goalkeeper Senne Lammens and defender Lisandro Martinez. United salvaged a point through Matheus Cunha, whose late deflected effort struck the net in the 89th minute.
The result put more pressure on United’s early-season performance, but the team avoided another defeat.
More Matchweek 5 Results
- Brentford 3–0 Chelsea
- Tottenham Hotspur 2–3 Aston Villa
- Brighton & Hove Albion 3–0 Arsenal
- Everton 1–0 Ipswich Town
- Newcastle United 2–1 Hull City
- Nottingham Forest 0–1 Coventry City
- Bournemouth 0–1 Liverpool
- Leeds United 0–0 Crystal Palace
- Manchester City 5–3 Sunderland
- Fulham 1–1 Manchester United
A Dramatic Weekend at the Top
Manchester City's victory kept them perfect and opened a three-point lead over Arsenal, the Premier League’s Sunday review reported. Liverpool also stayed in the mix, while Arsenal’s surprise defeat and Manchester United’s draw were two of the weekend’s biggest talking points.
